Towel cabinet



Feb. l2, 1935.

H. w. cRowsoN 1,990,636

TOWEL CABINET l Filed May 25, 195s s sheets-sheet 1 m N" N 1 V n w INVENTQR- Q Her?) eriQ #Tran/Jazz BY c H, w. cRwsoN Feb. 12, `1935.

TOWEL CABINET Filed May 25, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY- mvsNroR- Herer W Crau/.9077

Feb. 12, 1935. H, w. cawsoN TOWEL CABINET FiledMay 25, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR- 4 Hereri W Cron/sof:

BY @kN L ATTORNEY- Lr vk Y of the cabinet and is then passed back into theV Patented Feb. '12, Y1935 @UNITED stares smear oFFlCE to Pullclean Manufacturing A Corporation,

Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Deiaware Application May g5, V1933, serial Nc. 672,759'

' 12 claims; (ci. cl2-38).

' This invention relates to towel cabinets of the type adapted to contain a so-called continuous towel, that is, a long length of towel, usually in roll iorm, which isadapted to be drawn outwardly through an opening in the cabinet in suitable predetermined lengths for drying pur-Y poses. This type or cabinet is usually provided with a roller mounted therein in position to be engaged and rotated by the towel as the latter is withdrawn from the cabinet, the said roller being effective by the alternate stopping and releasing of the same, to control the feedv of the engaged towel fromv the cabinet.V The soiled end of the towel is drawn back into the cabinet, in position out of` contact with the clean towel, by a takeup mechanism which usuallycomprisesa supporting roll anda cooperating winding rolLthe latter being operatively connected with the feed roll to be actuated thereby to wind the soiledv towel on its supporting roll at substantiallyr the same rate as the clean towel is Withdrawn from the cabinet.

In loading the cabinet, the roll of clean towelling is placed on a shelf or other support therein, after which kthe'looseV end of the towelling is, drawn from the cabinet -over the feed roll in suliicient length to form a loop at the outside cabinet to the take-up mechanism. When the cabinet is loaded, the towel usually passes from the feed roll to the Atake-up rollover certain intermediate guide. and tensioning devices. VThe threadingof the' towel about these severalelements in the usual way is a somewhat diilicult .and tedious operation, lrequiring considerable off more towelling for each individual use thanis actually required and in this Vway adding unr. necessarily to the expense of maintainingthe cabinet. With thisin mind, it has been a further object of the present invention to 'provide these cabinets with an Vimproved means for so controlling the vdelivery `of the .towelling as to' cause the user to draw off only such limited lengths of same as maybe required.

The invention consists in thefnovel constructions and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l isa front elevation of a cabinet embodying my invention, with a part of the front section or door broken away on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 in order to show thev parts at the'rear thereof within the cabinet.

'Fig. 2 is an end'elevation of the same with the casing in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan with the, door opened and with the casing and ,certain parts on the door in'section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. V4 isV a sectional detail illustrating the method of loading the cabinet.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, showingy the stopping and releasing means for the delivery feed roll, the parts being here shown in roll stopping. position.

Fig. 6 is arsimilar view with the partsY shown in position for releasing the roll stopping means.

Fig. '7 is another similar view showing the bolt of the stopping means being shifted from inoperative'to operative position.V

Fig.` 8 is a View similar to Fig; 6 but showing a Inodiedform` ofthe `stopping and releasing' means.- v

Fig. 9 isa sectionthrough line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Figs. 10 and 1l are plan views, partly in section, of a partrof the means for releasing the f eed roll" stopping means ;V these views illustrating. the parts at different, times in their operation.

Fig. 12 is a detail view,.rpartly inrsection, showingrone of the adjustable stops for controlling the verticalgposition of the pinch roll which cooperates with the towel delivery feed roll.

'I 'he cabinet is here shown ascomprising an. outer casing formed in two sections 2 and 3, the front section 3, constituting a door, being hinged at one of. its vertical edges to the rear section 2, as at 4,'whereby the casing may be opened t0 permit of ready access to the interior thereof.

Locatedv within the casing adjacent opposite ends thereof are a pair of frame or bracket plates 5, 5secured together by suitable tie-rods and being fastened to the casing by bolts, such as '7. These bracket plates provide supports for a plu- .rality of partsfto vbe presently described which function to control the delivery of the clean i towelling from the cabinet and the return of the soiled. towelling therein.

Supported between the bracket plates is a shelf 8 vfor the support of the roll of clean towelling, r

rod, the front vertically arranged wall 8' of the shelf serving to retain the roll of towelling on the shelf against the forward pull thereon as produced by the withdrawal of the towelling from the cabinet.

When a roll of towelling has been placed on such shelf, the leading end of the same, as best shown in Fig. 2, is passed upwardly and over the delivery feed roll 10,`suitably journalled in the end brackets 5, from thence about a pinch roll 11 engaging the under side of the feed roll, and from thence forwardly through an opening 12 in the front door of the casing to and over a guide roller 13, which latter is journalled in extensions of the brackets projecting through the opening 12 in the door to support the roller at the front side of the latter as shown. From this guide roller 13 the towel depends in loop form, as at Z, in convenient position for use; the towel at the rear side of the loop passing backwardly through the opening 12 in the door to a take-up orrewinding mechanism comprising a roller 15 upon which the towelling is Wound and a winding roll 16 operative to engage the towel and wind it upon said roll 15. The winding roll 16 is operated, to function as described, from the feed roll through a suitable drive connection, which, as here shown, comprises a gear train 17, 18 and 19.

The pinch roll 11 is positioned at the under side of the feed roll whereby to cause the towel to take a substantial wrap about the feed roll in its passage thereover for the purpose of establishing a firm frictional engagement between the same. This is necessary in order to assure rotation of the feed roll by the towel upon the withdrawal of the latter, whereby to effect simultanous operation of the operatively connected soiled towel take-up mechanism. To further assure a close frictional engagement of the towel with the feed roll, the pinch roll 11 is held with a yielding pressure against the feed roll. This is effected by mounting the pinch roll in journal bearings at the lower` ends of a pair of vertically movable slide members 25, 25, which are here shown as passing through guide openings 26, 26 in the upper and lower horizontal flanges 27, 27 of a plate 28 which is attached to the door of the cabinet by suitable fastening means, such as the bolts or screws 29 engaging rearwardly-extending end flanges 30 of said plates, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The slide members 25 are held in vertical position for yielding engagement with the under side of the feed roll by spring means to be -presently described, and in order to limit their upward movement under the influence of said spring means, whereby the pinch roll will be maintained in its normal vertical'position when moved from beneath the feed roll upon the opening of the door, the slide members are each provided with a stop device. ThisY device, as here shown, comprises a bolt V31 connected'with the slide member through a vertically elongated slot 32 therein and carrying a block or washer 33 constituting a projection on the slide member for engagement with the under side of the adjacent flange 27 of the plate 28. A vertical adjustment of the washers 33 on the slide members will regulate the position of the pinch roll with respect to the feed roll to give the desired pressure of the pinch roll against the latter and also will permit adjustment of said pinch roll to adapt it for cooperation with feed rolls of varying diameters.

As before stated, it is necessary in cabinets of the present type, in which the feed roll is operated by the Withdrawal of thetowel'to actuate the soiled towel take-up mechanism, and also in which the delivery of the towel is controlled through the intermittent stopping of the feed roll, that the towel be maintained in close frictional engagement with the feed roll. For such reason, I provide means to supplement the action of the pinch roll in maintaining such engagement. These means comprise one or more presser plates 35 adapted to act with a yielding pressure against the feed roll to hold the interposed towel firmly thereagainst in its passage over the same to the pinch roll. Two of these presser plates are here shown, although it will be obvious that only one of sufficient length may be employed if desired. These plates are preferably curved to conform to the surface of the feed roll as shown and are pivotally mounted on a cross-rod 36 extending between and carried by the slide members 25. As a means for holding these presser plates with a yielding pressure against the feed roll, they are formed with arms or extensions 37 above their pivotal connection with the rod 36, with which connect the lower ends of springs 38, which latter at their upper ends connect with the upper Vstationary flange 27 of the plate 28. As said arms extend inwardly at an angle to the presser plates, as best shown in Fig. 2, it will be understood that the upward pull of lthe springs 38 on said arms act to rock the presser plates on their pivot support inwardly against the feed roll. By employing springs of the proper strength any desired pressure of the presser plates against the feed roll may be obtained.

As before stated, the slide members 25, 25 are adapted to be supported vertically in a manner to hold the pinch roll 11 with a yielding pressure against the under side of the feed roll. Such support may be effected in any suitable way, but in the presentv instance it is obtained by the springs 38 which, acting through their upward pull on the cross-rod 36'on which the presser plates are mounted, thereby exert a like pull on the connected slide members and supported pinch roll.

The roller carrying the soiled towel is provided with end journals which are removably seated in open journal bearings, such as 40, formed in the forward ends of a pair of arms 41, 41 which latter are mounted at'their rear ends on suitable pivots 42,v 42 adjacent the rear of the cabinet and rigidly connected at a point intermediate of their ends by a cross rod 43 whereby both arms will move as a single unit. Springs 44, 44 connecting at one end with these arms, as at 45, and y.at their opposite ends with fixed pins 46 on the frame plates, act to hold the supported towel roller' 15 with sufficient pressure against the winding roll 16 as to assure proper winding of the soiled towel on said roller 15, and at the same time permit of such backward yielding of the arms as may be required to provide for the increasing diameter of the roll of soiled towelling as the latter is wound on the roller. The arms 41, as shown in Fig. 2, are curved downwardly at their forward ends so as to Vbring the journal bearings therein for the towel roller in a position at the front side thereof to permit of the convenient placing of the roller therein and its removal therefrom. The connection of these arms 41, 41 by the cross-rod 43 whereby they move as a unitary structure, is of special benefit in that it causes a uniform winding of the soiled towel on the roller 15. For example, if the towel has a tendency to wind unevenly on its supporting roll, which would ordinarily result inA a greater in- Cil crease in the diameter of the roll at one end than at the other, the even or uniform pressure of the roll of towelling'against the winding roll' 16 as produced by the rigidly connected spring-pressed arms li1, 41 quickly acts to restore an even winding of the towelling. f

With the construction of cabinet asthus far described, the loading operation `is accomplished as follows: The-door-` or front section of the cabinet is rst-opened as shown in Fig. 3. This front section being divided from' the Vrear section at a point almost midway of the depth of the casing, it will expose, when open, practically all of the interior mechanism for convenient access by the operative, as will be clear by'reference to Figs. 2 and 3. When the door is thus opened, the pinch roll, presser plates and their associated supporting and operating means mounted on'the door, will of course be moved from their normal positions adjacent the feedrroll. Thereafter the roll of clean towelling is placed on the shelf 8 and the leading end thereof drawn'outwardly over the feed'roll 10 and guide roll 13, as shown in Fig. 4, and then' connected'to the take-up roller 15 by A taking a few turns about the latter, after which said roller will be seatedin its bearings in the supporting arms 41. The loading of the cabinet as thus far effected is obviously a quick and simple one. The next step is the closing of the door. This operation moves the pinch roll and presser plates to their normal position Yfor cooperation with the feed roll, the pinch roll when thus moved to operative position engaging with the towel and positioning it for passage thereabout from the feed roll to the guide roll 13 as shown in Fig. 2. During the closing of the door, the loop of towelling is drawn outwardly through the opening in the door whereby it will be positioned for use at the exterior of the cabinetupon the iinal closing of the door as shown;

The plate 28 and itsflanges 27, 27 form, with the front wall of the casing, a housing for the springs 38 and their immediate connections which will prevent tinkering with the same by unauthcrized persons when the door is open, and which will also prevent contact with the same of the clean towelling when the door is closed.

The means for intermittently stopping rotation of the feed roll for the purpose QI" limiting the length of towelling drawn off for each-individual use is substantially the Asame as that disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,839,721, granted Jan. 5, 1932 except that in the present case itis applied to the take-up winding roll instead f of to the feed roll as in the aforementioned patbythe Vengagement of the journal 53 with the end walls of an elongated groove 55 in the bolt, as shown in Figs. to V9 inclusive.

When a length of towelling is drawn outwardly from the cabinet, thereby causing rotation of the feed roll anda corresponding rotation of the winding roll 16 through the connecting. gearing, the bolt 5i), will 4bemoved inits'borain av manner to be presently. described, so-jas toproject one end thereof, indicated at a, beyond the periphery ofthe disk. During vcontinued rotation of the roll, the'said projectingend of the boltis broughtV intocontact with a stop device 60, as shown in Fig. 5, and so stops rotation of both rolls 16 and and thereby further withdrawal of the Ytowelling engaged by the roll 1G. Subsequently, toY obtain another length of the towelling, the bolt is released from the stop to permit another rotation of the rolls. For effecting suchv release of the bolt, the stop device 66, here "shown, as fixed to the upper end` of a bar 61 pivotally mounted at 62 on the end wall of the front section or door, is pushed inwardly against an end face 63 of the bolt to move the projecting end of `the latter into the bore of the disk 52, as shown in Fig. 6, after which the stop, upon being released by the user, will be automatically returned to its normal position and out of engagement with the bolt to permit further rotation of the rolls, by means of a pull springV 64 connecting at one end with the lower end of the bar 61 and at'its opposite end with a fixed pin 65 on the end wall of the door.

' When the bolt 5o has been shifted to releasing position, its rear end is thereby projected beyond' the periphery yof its housing disk, as shown in. Figr. This rear end is provided with an inclined or cam surface 69 which, when brought into wipject its opposite or stopping end beyond the Y periphery of the disk into position for subsequent engagement with the stop device. When the bolt has .been so shifted, it is held in such position during the subsequent one-half turn of the roll by means of a spring 'whichacts on the Y bolt in a direction transverselythereof to hold it stationary in frictionalA engagement with the wallv of its containing bore.

In mechanisms for causing intermittent rotation of the toweldelivery feed roll as heretofore in kgeneral use,V and as disclosed in the aforesaid Patent No. 1,839,721, the stop bolt is released from the coacting stop member by a single push-button 'or like device, requiring the use of only one handV by the user `of the cabinet. As hereinbefore stated, however, it has been found in the use of cabinets ofV thisv type, that is,rthose in which the stop may be released by a single push-button or like device, that there is a tendency on the'part of theusers to draw off in successive lengths more towelling than may be actually required, this being readilyaccomplished by the user employing one hand to grasp and draw o towelling while employing the other hand toV release the stop. .To avoid this, the stop releasing mechanism of my present inventionV is such as to require the employment of both hands to thereby make it necessary that the user release his grasp on the towel at each withdrawal of a measured length in order to more eectually'break the continuity of the towel delivery operation and in thisv way have a tendency to limit the withdrawals to only the amount required. In `carrying this part of my invention into effect, I provide a rod 71 which eX- tends transversely of the cabinet in position at the rear side of the face wall, with one end pivotally mounted on oneend wail ofthe door section and the other end pivotally connected with the stop'releasingbar 61 at a point above its pivot l62.V The pivotejd end connections of this bar may be effected inlany suitable way. As here shown, its connection with the end wall is made by a reduced section '71 of the rod being loosely seated within an open socket 'i2 in a. plate or block 73 xedly attached to thecasing, and its connection with the bar 61 is made by a reduced section '74 of the rod being loosely seated within a socket 75 in said bar, as shown in Figs. 'l and 8. A second rod 76, which I term an actuating rod, is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends with the first rod '71 at a point intermediate of its ends by a suitable connection, such as the bolt or pin 77. This actuating rod, as here shown, extends substantially the full width of the cabinet and has a pivotal connection at its opposite ends with a paii` of push-buttons 80, 80 which are slidably mounted in bearings 81, 81 fixed in the front wall or door of the cabinet, with their outer ends positioned at the exterior ofthe cabinetfor convenient engagement by theuser, as shown. With this arrangement of parts, when the user pushes one of the buttons inwardly to its limit, as the right-hand button in Fig. 7, it simply acts to rock the connected actuating rod on its pivot 7 '7 without effecting any corresponding movement to the rod '71 which connects withthe stop releasing bar 61, thus making it necessary for the user to simultaneously push inboth buttons to effect a rearward bodily movement of the actuating rod 76 at its point of connection with the rod 71 in order to operate the latter and cause a stop releasing movement to the bar 61 as shown in Fig. 8. In other words, a movement of the actuating bar produced by the operation of only one push-button, as in Fig. 7, leaves the releasing bar 61 in the position shown in Fig. 5, while a movement of the actuating bar produced by the simultaneous inward movement of both buttons, as in Fig. 8, effects the releasing movement of the bar 6l shown in Fig. 6. vIt will of course be understood that the spacing of the push-buttons may be varied as desired, provided that they are spaced sufficiently far apart as to necessitate the use of both hands in operating the same. Y

As here shown, the stop device 60 constitutes both a stop device and a stop releasing device. If desired however, separate devices may be employed forY the performance of these two functions. shown at 85 in Figs. 8 and 9, may be fixed to the inner wall of the front casing for stopping engagement with the projecting end. of the'bolt 50 in the same way as done by the device 60, and the member 86 shown in these Figs. 8 and 9, as carried by the bar 6l in position at one side of the stopV 80, may be operated by said bar to function as a stop releasing device in the same manner as done by the combination stop and releasing device 60. Thus it will be understood that the double pushbutton feature of the present stop releasing means is not dependent for its releasing operation upon any particular form of feed roll stop mechanism.

What I claim is:

1. A towel cabinet having adoor normally closing the same, a feed roll mounted on the cabinet over which the cleantowel passes for delivery to the user, a pinch roll cooperative with said feed roll for maintaining the towel in frictional engagement therewith, a presser member also Vcooperative with the feed roll for holding the towel in frictional engagement'therewith, supporting means on the door carrying both the said pinch roll and presser member, and means normally holding said supporting means in position with the pinch roll and presser member in yielding engagement with the feed roll.

2. A towel cabinet having adoor normally clos- For example, a stop member, such as ing the same, a feed roll mounted on the cabinet over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, a pinch roll cooperative with said feed roll for maintainingthe, towel in frictional engagement therewith, supporting means for the pinch roll comprising a. pair of bars slidably mounted on the door for vertical movement, stop means for limiting the vertical movement of said bars with the supported pinch roll in position for cooperation with the feed roll, and spring means yieldingly holding the bars in engagement with said stop means.

3. A towel cabinet having a door normally closing the same, a feed roll mounted on the cabinet over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, a pinch roll cooperative with said feed roll for maintaining the towel in frictional engagement therewith, supporting means for the pinch roll comprising a pair of bars slidably mounted on the door for vertical movement, stop means for limiting the vertical movement of said bars with the supported pinch roll in position for cooperation with the feed roll, spring means yieldingly holding the bar in engagement with said stop means, and a housing on the door enclosing said spring means.

4. A towel cabinet having a feed roll ovei` which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, a pinch roll cooperative with said feed roll for maintaining the towel in frictional engagement therewith, supporting means for the pinch roll comprising a. pair of vertically arranged bars carrying the pinch roll at their lower end, means supporting said bars for sliding movement, a cross rod connecting said bars and movable therewith, a presser plate mounted on said cross rod, and means yieldingly holding said bars with the supported pinch roll and presser plate in cooperative relation to the feed roll.

5. A towel cabinet having a door normally closing the same, a feed roll mounted on the cabinet over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, a'pinch roll cooperative with said feed roll for maintaining the towel in frictional engagement therewith, supporting means for the pinch roll mounted on the door and comprising a pair of vertically arranged bars having lower inwardly turned ends supporting the pinch roll in position for engagement with the under side of the feed roll when the door is closed, means supporting said'bars for sliding movement, and means normally holding said bars with the supported pinch roll in yielding engagement with the feed roll.

6. A towel cabinet having a feed roll over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, a take-up feed roll having a driving connection with said delivery feed roll, a pivoted frame having a part thereof positioned adjacent the take-up feed roll and provided with open journal bearings, a take-up roller for-the soiled towel removably journalled in said bearings, and means yieldingly holding the pivoted frame in normal position with the supported Vtake-up roller bearing against the adjacent feed roll.

7. A towel cabinet having a door normally closing the front side thereof, a feed roll over which the clean towelpasses for delivery to the user, a take-up feed roll having a driving connection with said delivery Vfeed roll, means supporting said take-up feed roll in a position forward of the side Walls of the cabinet when the door is open, a frame pivotally mounted within the cabinet and having a part thereof projecting forwardly of the cabinet when the door is open to a position adjacent the take-up' feed roll, said projecting part being provided with open journal bearings for the removable support of a take-up roller, and means yieldingly holding the pivoted frame in normal position with the supported take-up roller bearing against the adjacent feed roll.

8. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roll over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, and means for intermittently stopping rotation of said roll, of means for releasing said stopping means oomprising twoy Vspaced manually operable actuating devices, and

means operable only by an actuation of both said devices to release the stopping means.

9. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed `roll over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, and means for intermittently stopping rotation of said roll, of means for releasing said stopping means comprising two spaced manually operable actuating devices mountedY on the cabinet with their operating ends in position for engagement at the exterior side of the cabinet, and means operable Yonly by an actuation of both said devices to release the stopping means.

l0. In a'towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roll over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, and means for intermittently stopping rotation of said roll comprising a stop member and a slidably mounted bolt carried by the roll for engagement with said stop member,

of means for releasing said stopping vmeans comprising two spaced manually operable actuating devices, and means operable only by an actuation of both said devices to release the stopping means.

11. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roll over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user,- and means Vfor intermittently stopping rotation of said roll, of means for releasing said stopping means including a shiftable member, a second member pivotally connected at a point between its ends with said shiftable member, and actuating means associated with said second member adjacent its opposite ends.

12. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roll over which the clean towel passes for delivery to the user, and means for intermittently `stopping rotation of said roll, of means for releasing said stopping means including a shiftable member, a second member pivotally connected f HERBERT W. CROWSON. 

